Emerald and Ruby
by Fagan
Summary: The life story of Conall, known to many as the Valiant Griffon, a warrior of Moga Village.  MH3 Exclusively
1. Dawn

Within this shadowed place, I could feel it. Anticipation flooded the room, and it suffocated me. I was alone for now, the only comfort being the gentle rock of the water beneath the wood on which I was sat propped against my bed. I was home, but it offered no solace, no safety. Within the hour, I would be fighting for my life. And within the day, I would be dead.

It is true - no warrior from my small but proud village has ever returned from that smudge on the horizon known as the Great Desert, and I held no hope that I would be an exception. Yesterday the messenger bird had landed at the guilds headquarters – an invitation to the Festival of Fear for four of our best hunters. The elder deemed it rude to turn down the opportunity, having missed it himself, and wouldn't take no for an answer.

Time was up. I could hear a loud horn proclaiming Blackspear's arrival, his sturdy boat prepared for the journey. In front of me lay my trusty Great Sword, recently sharpened and cleaned especially by the blacksmith for good luck. From the red-winged devil I carved it from, I gave thanks, like I had always been taught. His death will not be forgotten, nor taken for advantage.

"Mrrow. Your boat has arrived." The friendly felyne who keeps my room in shape pushed the single curtain aside in the doorway, his small head poking inside with his whiskers twitching. I could tell he was worried. He stepped aside and held the curtain open for me to exit.

I stood, picking my sword up with one hand as I did. With the other I grabbed the string of my supply bag and slung it over my shoulder. "Thank you, Chamberlyne. You've been good to me." I went to place my hand on his head as a friendly pat, but instead of lent down and held out my hand to shake his paw. The little cat was surprised, but extended his own paw with gratitude.

"It has been an mrrronour serving you."

The burning sun was first to greet me. I held my hand to my forehead to try and see clearer, and then I realised my audience. The whole village was out here to send us off. I heard a clanking step above and looked up to see Isaac, the expert Bowgunner, in his full Barroth armour aside from his helmet, which was held between his elbow and hip as he walked confidently down the stairs. His medium-weight bowgun was strapped tightly to his back for transport, and his supply bag was tied around his waist. He stood beside me, grinning as he did. I returned the gesture with a half-hearted smile.

"The other two are on the boat already." A deep, crackling voice announced. It was the elder. He shambled towards us with his pipe in his mouth, taking one slow puff of it before continuing. "Villagers of Moga, you all know why we are here today." The whole place went quiet, even the creaking of the floorboards dulled under the authority of this tired and withered old man. "Our four, brave and courageous men have gathered to travel far away to another land to face the mighty beast that so many of us fear. We give them our praise, and we give them our trust. Carry our village's name with you in your heart."

The villagers applauded him, and gathered round us, touching our arms and our faces, as if to transfer their hope into our own bodies. Ahead I could see the sailors and the other villagers giving the same treatment to the other two. All around me I could hear their admiration as they wished us good health or luck. It all made my head swirl and my pace quickened towards the boat.

"Don't forget me, mister."

The path around me had cleared as the men and women of Moga gave way for the Guildmaster, a respected member of our tribe, and also my girlfriend. She was clad in her usual uniform – a bright red outfit adorned with creams and yellows.

"You're going to come back to this village in one piece, no questions." She silenced me before I could speak. "I've got more quests for you to do." She threw her arms around me in a strong embrace, ignoring the hard armour I wore, and I returned it. My throat was becoming dry already – what if I couldn't meet her promise?

"No kiss?" I said with an unnerved voice that cracked as I said the words.

"Not until you come back." She pulled away and moved back, her eyes diverted to the floor. My own fears were reflected in the image of this fragile girl. Were there tears in her eyes? I moved closer to her – it was time I was the strong one here.

"I'm coming back – heck, I'll even bring back some Mohran meat." I assured her with a smile taunting the edge of my mouth. I held her again, even closer than the first time.

Tears flooded from her eyes now as she began to laugh with a wavering voice "You know that meat too tough for me."

The horn called for me again on the boat as the captain became a little agitated. Isaac strode up beside me and clasped a hand on my shoulder. I ended the embrace, but kept my arm around her waist as he spoke.

"Time to go, mate. We'll be late for our own funeral." It was a joke of course, confirmed by the twinkling in his eyes, but it still caused the girl beside me to stiffen.

I looked over to Chamberlyne, who had followed me out. "Look after her, my good friend." He meowed an answer. I walked away, my hand leaving her own, and made my way towards the impatient captain. He growled something colourful, but I knew it was because he was as nervous as we were.

He sounded the horn once more when I had finally got onto the boat and found myself a comfortable seat. We began our journey with one long push from the wooden-structure that kept us in place and the boat shuddered forwards. It was hard to bring myself to look at the villagers as they all waved and cheered, with the only exception being a lone girl standing in the centre clad in red. Her eyes did not leave mine until we were well over the horizon.

I was silent for most of the journey, as was the warrior who sat across from me. His name was Rowan, and he was leaving behind someone he loved too. I had known him for many years now, but he was more recognisable to me as the only hunter in the village who wielded a huge hammer. It was on the floor of the boat beside him now, the vibrant colours of it reflecting sunlight and sparkling majestically. Rowan himself was huge – a monster in his own right. He was constantly working out, and if he wasn't, he was killing monsters for sport. He sat in his own misery, and I sat in my own.

At the front of the boat I could see Isaac joking with the Switchaxe handling Raphael, who laughed out loud at another of the gunner's jokes, his proud Lagiacrus armour clattering as he did. I had never really spoken to him before – when I was younger, he was the most popular out of the youth of our tribe, and he was always set to be a high ranking hunter.

"Not long now, boys. Ahead lies the Great Desert, a desolate place which is home to one of the biggest hunting-orientated cities in the world. Smarten up." The captain announced loudly as he walked the length of the boat passing each of us as he did. Isaac and Raphael stopped talking and jumped up to retrieve their weapons and supplies.

I knew that the city was hidden behind a huge wall of sandy stone, as if carved into the land by a god, but no books supplied by the guild HQ could have prepared me for such a sight. The huge wall of sand eroded stone was far in the distance, almost too far away to see, but its presence made a huge impact on our small band of hunters. It was so exciting – we would be there in a matter of minutes! Then we would be ready to hunt the beast with a little local knowledge.

We reached a dock crowded by many travellers and merchants, all transporting their goods onto a sand-boat. A tall, bearded man wearing simple desert clothing approached, calling out a friendly "Ahoy!" to our captain.

"Ah, good Abasi, what a pleasure to see you. I have brought four of our mightiest warriors to take part in the Festival. I am sure they will get the job done."

"Excellent news, my cousin. They look well-seasoned." He had an impatient edge to his voice, but I shrugged it off. The two continued to talk about us openly whilst we left the boat with our things. Already the sand was beginning to get into my eyes, so I placed my protective helmet on my head. We were escorted into a huge sand boat that was surrounded by smaller boats that would fend off the Gelex that would attempt to attack us. Either side of the boat stood a canon and a ballista, and a round object that would set off a gong if hit. Isaac whistled with appreciation as he looked around with round eyes.

"Set sail for the city, men." Abasi called out to the many young hands on deck as they bustled around like insects. With a jolt the sand-boat leaped into action and we were speeding along the dunes before I could gasp in surprise. I clung to the nearest wooden frame. If the monster didn't kill me, surely this boat would!

I never knew the comfort of the sea, and now that it was gone I began to feel nauseous, and as I looked around, the other warriors did too. I heard one of the men shout something. I glanced over to the man who was clutching a pair of binoculars with shaking hands. Then I realised what he had said.

"Jhen Mohran!"

The whole boat whirred into action. The smaller boats zoomed in on our own and the scrawnier looking shipmates jumped onto them – they would be of no use in the battle ahead, it seemed. Only the strongest and most valuable stayed valiantly.

"Time to shine, fellas. Let's go." Raphael commanded in a serious tone. I immediately knew what to do. I ran for the front of the sand-boat, picking up the abandoned binoculars. And there he was – huge wasn't the word. He was bigger than anything I've ever seen in all of my 20 years: gigantic, menacing, and heading straight for us. From what I knew, he was an elder dragon, an aged beast that has fought so many warriors. The only thing I didn't know was what he ate, and I hoped it wasn't hunters. I shook my head as Rowan called my name.

"Conall, status report! We can't see past that dust cloud."

"Mohran, nine 'o' clock!" I shouted, placing the binoculars back down and started for the cannonball pile. I picked one up with effort and heave it over towards Raphael, who was standing ready at the weapon. Isaac chose to man the ballista as he had the best aim, with Rowan besides him holding a strip of ammo. I heard the captain rapidly spin the wheel that controlled the ship and we began to face the huge monster side-on.

A huge roar blasted my ears, and If I wasn't standing against a railing, I would have fallen over. The boat shook as the huge beast dived over us, narrowly missing the sail. Debris fell from the ridge on his vast back and hurtled down at us as we tried to avoid it. It clanked along my armour and probably scratched the paintwork – that was the least of my concerns.

We began to fight it, hitting it hard with cannon fire until it started to come up close to the boat to get a better look at us. Isaac hit it with a binding rope while I and Raphael took our opportunity to jump onto its arm and onto its back. He ran off drawing his Switchaxe as he did. He would go around the ridge to get a better weak point. Weak rock stood in front of me, and I clamped my gloved hand around the hilt of my Great Sword and began to swipe at the rock with all of my energy. I could hear the beast call out in protest. Finally the rock broke all the way through and I cheered out with glee – but my celebrations were silenced by the cry of one of my comrades. I dived through the newly-made gap to see Raphael hanging by his fingertips off the side of the huge beasts back. Below him was intensely hot sand, which if he fell onto at this speed would surely make him a dead man.

"I've got you." I called out, clutching onto his arm and hand with all my might. Working together, we managed to heave him up back onto the ridge. The deep fright that previously clouded his eyes was replaced by reassurance as he thanked me, before scuttling off to help the attack. One of the cannonballs landed near me and exploded, which made me jump back into action.

Beneath the soles of my feet I could feel this mighty beast, whose lengthy life was now being brought to an end by a handful of hunters looking for honour and a good kill. Guilt started to swell in my throat as the monster below painfully whined, but like any good warrior I shrugged it off. I would be seen as a coward if stopped now, and probably never allowed back into the village again. Closing my eyes, I ran along the ridge of the beast's back, almost tripping over several rocks jutting out in awkward positions.

The tusks are its weak points, the guild handbook had said. I reached the head of Mohran, and as I reached for the sword that lay dormant on my back, I found myself apologising to the beast. Looking across as I jumped down onto its tusk, I could see his eye. It was like looking into a mirror. He was the same as me, he held the same fear that I did and he was scared. And so was I. Gulping down the lump in my throat, I raised my sword and kept my eyes tight shut, but I couldn't help look out at him as I heard a loud groan from his belly, as if he was begging me not to. As a hunter, all my life I had been trained to ignore that equality, and I would now.

With a loud battle cry, I raised my Great Sword high, and it glinted in the blistering sunlight as I brought it down upon the eye of the beast. Another cry, and I rammed the sword harder into its eye, and I heard a huge growl from within the beast's belly. The tusk I was standing on began to shake and rose as he roared, and I found myself thrown into the air. He was slowing down, and by the time I'd landed back on his tusk with a loud thud and a sickening crack from my back, he had almost stopped completely. I placed my hands down on the tusk I was thrown onto, and just as I tried to recover, the beast that carried me suffered one final hit from the cannon and heaved forwards. My head was pounding, and I hurt all over. The shadow of the beasts body was the last thing I saw before I was violently thrown off the beast into it's path as it rolled for one last time.

In the distance, the screams of my comrades roared above the whirr of the desert sand and the groans of the beast, but I couldn't make them out. I couldn't feel anything. My vision was blurred, and as the hot desert sand burned my face. I saw something as I lay there, broken and defeated. It was red and it was walking towards me slowly. Somehow I managed to wipe my stinging eyes with my now gloveless hand and then I saw her so clearly now. It was Evangelina, the love of my life.

The deafening final roar of the beast was muffled in my ears, and so were the sounds of frantic footsteps towards me. I couldn't move, that was for sure, but the girl in front of me bent down onto one knee, unaffected by the heat or the scorn of the sand and was beautiful as ever. She held her hand on my face, her palm cool against my cheek, caressing the short stubble on my face with her thumb. She couldn't be a mirage... she just couldn't. She was so real. I begged with my own mind to just let me have this moment, but it was spoiled.

"Conall! Conall!" My comrades had reached me, and they shook me roughly by the shoulders, but I was already slipping out of consciousness. I was falling under with the image of Evangelina still clear as a blue day in my mind.

"I'm sorry..."


	2. Moonlight

Forgot to add a disclaimer in the last chapter, so making up for it now: if I owned monster hunter, you would be able to ride around on Uragaan's back like a friggin horse. Be prepared for one_ rushed_ chapter.

* * *

It was a chilly winter morning, small rafts of ice floating dangerously close past the village on their slow voyage, one always narrowly missing the wooden frame. The moon shed what little light it could on the huts and boats that sat upon the floating logs and it lit the path of a certain couple. They met beside one of the boats, the shorter of the two holding something in their arms - a child, wrapped lovingly in a fine cloth. The shadowed one holding the baby looked up at the other, revealing the sad face of a new mother – long, light brunette hair flowing in the gentle, frosty breeze. Tears ran down her face as she silently pleaded with the man in front of her. He was taller than she, and he had an azure long-sword strapped to his back. His hair was a messy dark brown, and his face clean-shaven.

"You can't do this to me. Not now." The woman almost whispered as the tears began to overwhelm her. She reached out her free hand to his chest.

"I'm sorry. I can't be his father – I'm not ready." He pushed away the hand towards the child, rejecting the gesture, but kept his hand on top of hers. His eyes stared into hers until she looked away, the pain too much. She walked away, his only love, with her sandals clanking upon the wood lightly. "It is for the best, and you know that." He whispered finally, a single tear emerging and rolling down his cheek.

* * *

"Conall!"

I looked up from what I was doing. The call came again- it was my mother! Scooping up my toy boats from the gap in the wood that I played in, I ran towards my hut. With one swipe of my arm I shoved the curtain back and ran in. The smell of sizzling meat met my nostrils, and my stomach began to grumble with anticipation. I put my toys down on the floor and rounded the corner. Standing at the single stove was my mother - well, surrogate. I had always known that she wasn't my birth mother.

"Conall, where have you been? Ya' dinners going cold." Mother gently scolded, before hugging me tightly. With one single hand she herded me over to the table and sat me down, setting a plate down in front of me. She hadn't even put her own plate down by the time I was wolfing the meat down.

"Alright, alright, calm down kid! It's not going to get up and walk away, is it?" She said surprised, sitting down cross-legged on the other side of the table.

"It might do," I replied, pointing my fork at her to prove my point "you have to be quick and choose your opportunities wisely!" I started my eating rampage again whilst she shook her head.

"Have them hunters been fillin' yer head with stories again?" I knew how my mother felt about me listening to those valiant warrior's tales about their last hunt, but I didn't understand why she never wanted me to follow in their path – I would, of course, but to her dislike.

We finished up dinner with little talk and I returned to my place beside the water with my toys. I was alone most days, but recently one of the other children had started to talk to me. Her name was Evangelina – her mother was the guildmaster, whose job was to control the flow of quests within the village and to act as the ambassador for Moga, and her father was a lance-wielding hunter. She always wore a little red dress.

Before long we were best of friends, always together playing boats on the water, or story telling at dawn. The days seemed shorter, as did the years, and it seemed only yesterday I was younger.

Fourteen now, and it was this summer we would begin our training to be hunters. Although we didn't play with toy boats any more, me and Evangelina would still sit beside the water talking to each other for hours on end without boredom, and then when it was so dark that we couldn't see our reflections in the water, we would lay on our backs and stare up at the vast sky. Above us hundreds of thousands of stars shined back at us, twinkling. As we became more mature, we became closer. Her mother was already teaching her how to manage the guild-store, and often left her alone to handle it, but I would always stop by to lend a hand.

It wasn't long before I was taking the quests. Five months into training and my muscles were already shaping as I learned how to wield a sword and shield. Those who accompanied me in this training were the other male youths from the village. I recognised few of them from when the warriors would tell us stories, and I started to learn their names when we had sparring sessions with each other. I was often paired with a boy called Isaac, whose agility and precision matched my own.

The months wound on at an insane rate. I was sixteen already. I hadn't noticed how quickly time had gone before I was in my familiar hut, with an aged woman who stood as my mother checking my armour and ceremonial war paint for hitches. Her eyes brimmed with pride, but at the same time sadness. It was everything she'd never wanted.

"I am proud to call you my son, Conall. Do your best tonight."

Equipped with simply a sword and shield, I followed the other amateur hunters out onto the bridge. Tonight we would be hunting a Great Jaggi as part of our ceremonial exam. We would be joined by the elder's son who would asses our skill, and decide who returns to the village the next day a boy, and who returns as a man. With a group cheer, we were off, racing along the bridge to be first there, and I ended up at the back of the pack, with the more impatient boys leading.

Under the night sky, it felt almost peaceful as we settled into a silent jog. We passed herds of Kelbi and Aptonoth, all cautious of our presence, nervously surrounding their young. One of the huge male Aptonoth stamped his front two feet into the ground with a warning call, but it was cut off by the howl of a greater beast. Crashing through the trees towards us, it definitely made it's arrival clear. The Aptonoth family scattered and ran away as Jaggi filled the area, leaping and snapping at us in an attempt to spook us.

The smart thing to do would be to wipe out a few of the Jaggi to stop them nipping at our backs, but I ignored the advice. I headed straight for the Great Jaggi as he started to roar, thrusting my sword upwards into his body. I missed by a hairs length, but I was too involved to start worrying about the examiner. Confidence still rippled throughout our group, but suddenly it had all become too real as I felt the hot breath of the beast brush past my head as he snapped his jaw at another hunter. This had become a struggle for our own lives. I dived to the side as it began to spin, hopeful to avoid its spiked tail, managing to send a Jaggi flying with my shield as I did. Two other of the small minions ran for me from the edge of the clearing that I faced, and as I moved backwards to recover, I bumped into their leader's side. By the time I had turned slowly to see what it was I had hit, the Great Jaggi was already in motion.

But before the large male could retaliate by swinging his frilled head around to me, I quickly threw myself forwards and rolled out of the way, his teeth narrowly avoiding my leather boots. The others took advantage of the sudden diversion and began to attack.

Rowan was next to strike. He leapt forwards with inhuman strength and delivered a blow with his shield that would any shatter human's bones. The alpha male staggered back, blood trickling down its head. While he was distracted, Isaac ran forwards under its legs, plunging his sword straight up into the monsters stomach –a huge whine of pain confirmed the hit.

"Get him over to that ledge. Strategy B. Conall, you know what to do." The eldest of our group, Raphael, ordered. Strategy B... strategy B... Oh! I know what strategy B is! I remembered and ran for the vines that protruded from the ledge. I climbed up them with haste, hidden from the Great Jaggi's sight. The monster had a surge of anger. It howled loudly, the sound causing the others to flinch and I to lose a grip on my left-hand vine. In their moment of weakness the Great Jaggi lunged for Rowan's exposed leg. I heaved myself up onto the rock formation and looked down. Now!

With all my might, I jumped straight for the beast. I landed squarely on its back and smashed my shield into the back of its head to confuse it. It began to thrash about, trying to reach me, and as I avoided every snap of it's jaw the others in the group charged. In a matter of seconds, the hunter had become the hunted. I jumped off before it fell to the ground, defeated, and with a final howl.

"Great job, lads. We'll eat well tonight. You all did superbly." The chief strolled out from his hiding place with a grin on his face. "Excellent final blow Conall, great strategic placement there Raphael. Come on, let's all go back. We'll have the felynes carve the goods."

* * *

We returned to the village that dusk, welcomed by the triumphant hunting horn that announced our arrival. I looked around and most of the ceremonial paint had been smudged away by the hunt, but it didn't matter now. We were all safe, back without any injury at all, and it seemed the chief had something to announce to the tribe.

"Brilliant news, everyone: tonight there will be a feast! Five of our young boys travelled deep into Moga Woods last night to hunt down a Great Jaggi, and do you know what? King's Frill soup for everybody!" The villagers erupted into applaud, especially the proud mothers and fathers. "Now, join me here, men." He gestured to the five of us who stood at the bridge entrance shyly as the whole village congratulated us, and Isaac was the first to walk forwards, and we all followed suit.

In the crowd, a little commotion was occurring. Evangelina emerged from the crowd after a long struggle to get to the front as politely as she could. Nothing but happiness shone upon her face, her eyes were gleaming, focussed solely on me. "Go get 'em, Conall."

The chief jumped down from where he was sitting to meet the elder, his father, as the son told him the names he had picked for us. The elder smiled and nodded, which is always a good sign. "The Elder of this village will speak now." He moved out of the way for the old man to approach us. One by one, he addressed us.

"Isaac, the sure sighted eagle, whose precision is challenged by none. Rowan, the heavy striking thunder, strong of body and mind..." My hearing was interrupted by Evangelina, who quietly said behind me 'I hope he gets a cool name' before being shushed "Raphael, the alpha wolf, confident in leading his pack and Conall, the valiant griffon, he who strikes from above."

The crowd of people broke into rapturous applaud again, this time surrounding us and congratulating us. I couldn't see Evangelina, but I knew she was in the swirl of people somewhere.

I heard the elder pat his stomach before saying "So where's that Great Jaggi hide..."

* * *

The whole village held a celebration feast that lasted all through the night, but I wasn't hungry. I sat in my usual spot beside the water, appreciating the quiet for a few moments. I had finally realised my dream – those stories of great warriors were now ours to rewrite. Few small fish circled the water below me, and when they suddenly swam off I turned around.

"Evening." It was Rowan. He walked over to me slowly and sat beside me. "Thanks for... well, earlier." He spoke in a lower tone than usual, and his eyes were staring straight at the water's surface, like he was ashamed of what happened.

"Don't sweat it. There is no such thing as a perfect hunter, y'know? We all slip up sometimes. The only thing that matters is that we finished the quest without any injury." I responded, trying to lighten his mood.

"Thanks Conall. It means a lot to me." Heaving himself up, Rowan left to return to the celebrations with a final 'good night'.

I decided to follow him. The village hall in which everyone was partying was just about big enough for everyone to fit in, with space for a long table full of foods and drink, which any other day would be used for lengthy debates on Moga's wellbeing. I skimmed the table for something appetising, but before I could pick up a sandwich, someone threw their arm over my shoulders.

"Here he is!" It was Redspear, one of the fishermen-brothers. He was drunk. "Ya'know, at first, I didn't think ya had the guts, but yuu've got more bottle than a Rathalo'." He stumbled off, probably to harass another of the new warriors.

Picking up a single sandwich, I walked over to an empty table that had one or two empty glasses knocked over on it. Before long Isaac joined me, looking pleased with himself. Even though he'd only been a warrior for a few hours now, he had managed to impress plenty of the girls our age around the village – except for Evangelina, who was having none of it.

"So tell me, He Who Strikes From Above, what weapon you goin' for?" The question surprised me.

"Oh...I haven't given it much thought..." I lied. Of course I knew which weapon class I would choose – a Great Sword, brave and bold, everything I wanted to be.

"Well I chose many moons ago!"

"And what would that be, Sure Sighted Eagle?" I used the same mocking voice that he did previously.

"A Bowgun, obviously. I've got to utilise this godly-accuracy somehow. Besides, all the other weapons are too up close and personal with the monster. I like my privacy." He smirked at the end of his sentence, taking another swig of his drink. We joked around for a while before he noticed that another of the local girls were giving him 'the looks'. "Excuse me, Mr Griffon." I heard him scamper off.

I never saw my best friend the rest of the night, and for most of it I sat wondering where she was, or asking about after her. She had probably just gone to bed, so I would too. I walked back to our hut with my mother, who was tired from spending the whole night telling people how proud she was of me.

We entered the house in silence, something I was not used to. Mother was strangely quiet, and then as she walked over to one of the cupboards in the kitchen, she spoke: "Now Conall, you know that you heritage is shadowed. Not my doing of course." She said, with a slight sadness in her eyes that I could never understand, "I was forced to promise only to tell you everything when the time came, but many years ago when I first held you, something had been left with you in your basket." She stretched, just managing to reach for an object at the back of the cupboard. "I saved it for a special occasion, because I knew this day would come." She smiled warmly at me, but I could tell the rest of the story unfolded in her mind. What was she remembering... or who?

The object placed in my hands was cold at first touch, but as I looked curiously down at the item, I felt like it was hot rock in my palms. It was a ruby red scale, held in place by a decorative green frame, which felt like the same material. I rubbed one thumb over it, and it gleamed in the minimal light. Whatever it was, it was valuable.

"I believe it was forged from two things. The red scale was your fathers, and the green scale was your mothers. They had the blacksmith put them together as a sign of their love." I stood, staring at the object before looking up at her. "Come now, Conall. Time for bed. You've got a big day tomorrow – someone has to feed the village, you know."

Holding the object in my hands firmly, I said goodnight to mother and walked into my room. My faithful felyne friend, Chamberlyne, was curled up in his usual place beside my wooden dresser. He was just younger than me in regards to his species ages. Every new hunter-in-training is assigned one, and they are to stay with you until the end, being if something happens to either of you.

Trying my hardest not to disturb him, I removed my traditional ceremony clothes – which were a navy blue shawl and a pair of leggings the same colour. I lay in bed, the gentle sound of the water lulling me into a comfortable sleep.

* * *

Thanks for reading so far, I hope you're enjoying it! Reviews are very welcome in the house of Fagan. Just as a criticism to myself, I feel that the progression of him becoming older is very rushed, but I did feel at the time I couldn't drag it out any more than I wanted to, because really I don't like to dwell on him growing up and would rather have him killing something than losing his first tooth, which is why this whole chapter is really centred around the progression of him getting older. Don't worry – next chapter the real stuff begins!


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